Minamoto Yoshiie

Minamoto Yoshiie (1041-1108) was a Japanese samurai who was among the founders of samurai tradition. Standing on the cusp between history and legend, Yoshiie was the daimyo of the Minamoto clan, and ensured that his family came to prominence after the Early Nine Years' War and Later Three Years' War.

Biography
Among the founders of the samurai tradition, Minamoto Yoshiie stands on the cusp between history and legend. As a young man he served alongside his father, Minamoto Yoriyoshi, in the Early Nine Years' War, asserting imperial authority over the Abe clan in the northern region of Honshu island.

His first battle, fought during a snowstorm at Kawasaki, was a defeat, but his brave performance in the fighting withdrawal earned him the name Hachimantaro - son of Hachiman, the god of war. Twenty years later, as a leader in his own right, Yoshiie fought the Later Three Years' War against a northern clan, the Kiyowara. This conflict saw two incidents famous in samurai legend. Yoshiie showed his astuteness in spotting an ambush by observing a flight of birds scared by the hidden troops, and he showed his aesthetic flair by engaging in an exchange of verse with the Kiyowara leader in mid-battle. Yoshiie won the war, taking the fortress of Kanezawa by assault after a long siege.